Saranac Lake sees first recent meth arrest

April 10, 2013

SARANAC LAKE - A Gabriels man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly tried to run from police when he was found in possession of methamphetamine.

Village police Chief Bruce Nason said a pickup truck driven by Peter Yaglou, 54, was pulled over by Patrolman Casey Reardon on Church Street around 7 a.m. for not having a front license plate. As Reardon talked with Yaglou, he detected the odor of marijuana and alcohol and asked him to step out of the vehicle, Nason said.

"When asked about marijuana, Yaglou admitted he had a little and pulled a bag from his pocket, handing it to Casey," Nason said.

The chief said the bag contained three 1-gram packages of meth.

"When Yaglou appeared to notice he gave him the bag containing meth and not marijuana, he tried grabbing the bag and turned to run away," Nason said.

Reardon tackled Yaglou and placed him under arrest, the chief said. Yaglou was subsequently found in possession of 3 to 4 grams of marijuana, too.

Yaglou was charged with second- and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both of which are felonies, and a pair of misdemeanors: second-degree obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.

He was arraigned in village court and remanded to the Franklin County Jail in Malone in lieu of $15,000 cash bail or $30,000 bond. He was still behind bars this morning, according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Department.

Nason said Yaglou will also be issued an appearance ticket for unlawful possession of marijuana and a traffic ticket for not having a front license plate.

The chief said this is the first meth arrest his department has had in the last few years, although he noted there have been several in nearby Clinton County in recent months.